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Sticky Pedal Fix - be all you can be

2589 Views 12 Replies 7 Participants Last post by tomolsson, Aug 14, 2002

Robert

Discussion Starter · Aug 10, 2002

I took delivery of my 02 330 sp 5spd on 10/10/01. From the beginning the overall balance, composure, and power have put a smile on my face every day. 8500 miles and not one service day or significant problem. I follow this board religiously (ie everyday), but post sparingly. I find the topics compelling, but my knowlege base in comparison to others would add little to the discussions.

However, after having the "sticky pedal fix" I can give a purely subjective assessment the difference it has made in the character of this car. When I first took delivery, especially during the break-in period, the issue with the pedal was not noticeable. Just like a honeymoon - only the most glaring abnormalities would need be addressed. But unlike a bad marriage, familiarity with this car does not breed contempt. Rather, as one becomes comfortable with the limits of traction, acceleration, and braking, tuning out minor glitches is almost subconscious.

I digress. As winter turned to spring in Michigan, the blizzaks came off and I looked forward to my first summer with the type 68's. On the way home on the first hot day in May I noticed the change in pedal feel. Trying not to be a hypochondriac I blew it off. The next morning was cool, and the pedal was better - not perfect. That afternoon, it was 95 and 95% humidity and soon, I was on my hands and knees in the parking lot trying to figure out what was broken. That night a quick search led me to the Yahoo board and the rest is history.

I picked up my car with the new pedal and climate control part on Wednesday and difference was immediately apparent. BETTER THAN NEW The pedal and shifter now work together seamlessly. There is no struggle to find the matching rpm; take-offs are like silk. Even though I have raced motorcycles, driven a stick for twenty years, there have been times that I have questioned my ability in this car. That is history. Somehow this small change put all the pieces together for me - for this car. That may seem melodramatic, but sometimes that drive - to and from work - is the only time where everything can be perfect in an imperfect world.

So, this is a long winded way of saying, if you haven't had the pedal fix, consider getting it done.

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Michael330

· #2 · Aug 10, 2002

Robert said:
I took delivery of my 02 330 sp 5spd on 10/10/01. From the beginning the overall balance, composure, and power have put a smile on my face every day. 8500 miles and not one service day or significant problem. I follow this board religiously (ie everyday), but post sparingly. I find the topics compelling, but my knowlege base in comparison to others would add little to the discussions.

However, after having the "sticky pedal fix" I can give a purely subjective assessment the difference it has made in the character of this car. When I first took delivery, especially during the break-in period, the issue with the pedal was not noticeable. Just like a honeymoon - only the most glaring abnormalities would need be addressed. But unlike a bad marriage, familiarity with this car does not breed contempt. Rather, as one becomes comfortable with the limits of traction, acceleration, and braking, tuning out minor glitches is almost subconscious.

I digress. As winter turned to spring in Michigan, the blizzaks came off and I looked forward to my first summer with the type 68's. On the way home on the first hot day in May I noticed the change in pedal feel. Trying not to be a hypochondriac I blew it off. The next morning was cool, and the pedal was better - not perfect. That afternoon, it was 95 and 95% humidity and soon, I was on my hands and knees in the parking lot trying to figure out what was broken. That night a quick search led me to the Yahoo board and the rest is history.

I picked up my car with the new pedal and climate control part on Wednesday and difference was immediately apparent. BETTER THAN NEW The pedal and shifter now work together seamlessly. There is no struggle to find the matching rpm; take-offs are like silk. Even though I have raced motorcycles, driven a stick for twenty years, there have been times that I have questioned my ability in this car. That is history. Somehow this small change put all the pieces together for me - for this car. That may seem melodramatic, but sometimes that drive - to and from work - is the only time where everything can be perfect in an imperfect world.

So, this is a long winded way of saying, if you haven't had the pedal fix, consider getting it done.

Do you know what production months are affected?. I don't seem to find anything wrong with the responsiveness of mine but then again how can I tell if it wouldn't be better after the fix...
Congrats on the car. Nice to see yet another 2002 330i. I see more and more of them on the road every day...

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plugot

· #3 · Aug 11, 2002

Pedal Fix?

Okay, just what is the pedal fix? Like some others on this site, I've had some issues keeping the car shifting smoothly and I've been driving sticks for over 30 years. I recognize the clutch up take on the BMW is like the last 3 inches of pedal movement, but does that have any relationship to the issue of "sticky" pedal? Obviously one wants to synchronize gas and clutch movements, so is this what is being referenced? Thanks.

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richard

· #4 · Aug 12, 2002

I'd like to know too. I posted earlier regarding my difficulty shifting smoothly. I can't say I notice anything wrong with the throttle response. What exactly are the symptoms of a "sticky pedal"? My pedal doesn't feel sticky at all. The way my car is now I think I would have trouble convincing my dealer that there is something wrong. My complaint is such a long clutch pedal.

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alee

· #5 · Aug 12, 2002

The "sticky pedal" problem is when your pedal actually physically feels sticky. Especially on hot days, you will notice that your throttle feels like it has notches cut into it, and only has a few distinct levels of travel vs. a smooth continuous range of travel.

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Robert

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 12, 2002

I agree. The "sticky feeling" becomes very obstrusive especially in Hot/Humid weather. Looking back after the fix, the pedal and throttle repsonse is more linear than when I took delivery in October.

This is supposed to be a complete resdesign as of this spring.
Here are the part numbers:
Module, 35-40-6-762-481 and Adaptor Plate, 35-40-6-756-720.

My service advisor did not hesitate when I walked in and said "sticky pedal". He just ordered the parts.

I can take photos if anyone wants.

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plugot

· #7 · Aug 12, 2002

So this issue is really about the lack of smooth accelerator movement in heat/humid conditions. I've had my car for almost a year and have driven it in very hot (but dry) conditions and haven't noticed the symptoms. I'm curious as to whether this is related to high(er) humidity vs. temperature. Any problems noted in say Nevada or Arizona where it's hot, but like where I live in SoCal, not generally very humid. Just curious. And thanks for the previous explanation.

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ride365

· #8 · Aug 12, 2002

It's not limited to humid areas... the problem is just more noticeable in those conditions. I'm in the bay area [not humid] and it was obvious to me. Got it fixed a couple weeks ago.

How noticeable it is really depends on the driver. There are at least a couple accounts of loaner cars having the problem and the dealer being completely unaware. The implication being that hundreds of drivers experienced it and didn't notice or didn't report the problem. My opinion is the same for the steering retrofit... if you don't notice a problem, don't worry about it. For those of us who felt the problem, it drove us crazy.

Having said that though it doesn't necessarily affect everyone (BTW it's not limited to 3ers). Standard procedure is for the dealer to identify your part in person before they are authorized to order the replacement part. So those getting it ordered/replaced based solely on a verbal complaint are so far in the minority.

Hope that helps.

kurt

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Michael330

· #9 · Aug 12, 2002

ride365 said:
It's not limited to humid areas... the problem is just more noticeable in those conditions. I'm in the bay area [not humid] and it was obvious to me. Got it fixed a couple weeks ago.

How noticeable it is really depends on the driver. There are at least a couple accounts of loaner cars having the problem and the dealer being completely unaware. The implication being that hundreds of drivers experienced it and didn't notice or didn't report the problem. My opinion is the same for the steering retrofit... if you don't notice a problem, don't worry about it. For those of us who felt the problem, it drove us crazy.

Having said that though it doesn't necessarily affect everyone (BTW it's not limited to 3ers). Standard procedure is for the dealer to identify your part in person before they are authorized to order the replacement part. So those getting it ordered/replaced based solely on a verbal complaint are so far in the minority.

Hope that helps.

kurt

Which dealer did you use?

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ride365

· #10 · Aug 12, 2002

Michael330 said:
Which dealer did you use?

Sonnen.

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Michael330

· #11 · Aug 12, 2002

ride365 said:
Sonnen.

Did you use them for other things? How are they? I've heard from some people that they are decent (for Bay Area standards). I am so sick of BMW of SF and Weatherford that I feel nauseous each time I have to call/go there.

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ride365

· #12 · Aug 12, 2002

Michael330 said:
Did you use them for other things? How are they? I've heard from some people that they are decent (for Bay Area standards). I am so sick of BMW of SF and Weatherford that I feel nauseous each time I have to call/go there.

I bought from Sonnen and have serviced there a couple times... transmission swap under warranty, 1st inspection, sticky pedal. Each time was smooth and pain-free. I've heard a complaint here or there, but nothing major and nothing worse than what I've heard about BMWSF.

Having heard the many horror stories about BMW service in general, I've always reluctantly rated my Sonnen experiences well. You know, rate them well but expecting to regret it and wishing I could take those 5's back. But so far it hasn't happened. In fact, when they called me for the last survey I just interrupted the woman and said, "Can you just put down all 5's for me?" and called it a day.

I say give them a try and tell me what you think.

kurt

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tomolsson

· #13 · Aug 14, 2002 (Edited)

originally posted by ride365
Standard procedure is for the dealer to identify your part in person before they are authorized to order the replacement part. So those getting it ordered/replaced based solely on a verbal complaint are so far in the minority.

Mine was handled over the phone, based on my VIN#. No questions asked. BTW, it doesn't take extreme heat. I live in Seattle, and mines been driving me @#$% nuts for at least 6 months.

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